Goddess
by G. Sun
Summary: Risa and Knuckles are exploring the mysterious hidden Temple of Goddess' without a real goal in mind. We find our heroine unable to figure out what she really wants, but instead hears a truth she never wanted to hear. Read after TEMPLE.
1. Chapter 1

**Things are getting a bit tense in Risa's life-better make it worst [insert troll face]**

What did those words mean? I hope Knuckles did not hear them because it would be awkward if he did. From his countenance, I assume he did not hear them and I should not remind him of it. Inside the temple is brightly lit from the torches hanging along the walls. Statues of dragons crawl above the torches, twisting as they sneak down one of the paths that we come across. The other path is dark without a single dragon creeping down or a torch to illuminate it.

"Hmm," Knuckles thinks aloud. "Let's take the left path."

"The path without the dragons?" Maybe the point of the dragons is to lure us to the side of the light. I am already walking down the lighted path. "Are you sure?"

"I've had a lot of experience here. Not _here _in this temple but-what are we looking for anyway?" I keep on walking, going farther away from the light. "What're we looking for?" he repeats.

"Keep your voice down," I whisper. "I do not want to attract any attention."

"There's nobody here!"

"You do not know that." When I look at my feet, darkness envelops it. I cannot see a damned thing in this hallway, yet my feet keep moving. My hand suddenly has weight to it, credit to the periwinkle sword.

"How do you do that?" asks Knuckles.

"What?"

"Bring that weird-looking sword out? It's really weird." I shrug. "I couldn't see that." I bump into a tightly packed surface, a wall. It must be a dead end. I bend down to feel the entire wall. "What're you doing?"

"Looking for a trapdoor," I reply, focusing more on the wall than about Knuckles' curiousity.

"What, it's a dead end? Step out of the way, I got this." Keeping my impatience suppressed for sake of fully exploring this temple, I step out of the way. What am I really doing here anyway? I gaze up at the dark ceiling, listening to the muffled sounds above the ground; the blustering gales and the chirping birds. The reverberations of his fists pummeling into the wall make me wince and break off my wandering mind.

"Your tactic-"

"Done!" He triumphantly punches one more time and I stick my hand at a small, circular opening. Without even thinking of what lies within it, he hops in, sliding down the wet slope. His grunt echoes throughout the tunnel. I crawl into the hole and slide as if sliding down the neck of an efigarf*. There is light coming out from the bottom, which means Knuckles was right. Perhaps I should trust him more.

I land brusquely on a rocky platform covered in vines. It is made of shiny rocks with beautiful lusts-the shiniest and brightest rocks reside down here, hidden away from the world. It appears that entire inside of the temple is made up of these rocks, hugged by the vines that carry multi-colored flowers that I have never seen before. On every side of the walls, waterfalls that reflect the stones' lights crash to a seemingly endless pit below. It is like-no, no more memories. I have to focus on what is happening. "I've never seen a place like this before," remarks Knuckles, looking up at the gaping ceiling above. "All the light is coming from these rocks."

My sword evaporates as I spot an archway leading into another section. "Hey, hey, what're you doing?" he demands.

"Walking towards over there."

"Aren't you gonna at least try to take all this in?" he asks as if he normally takes pleasure in sights like these. I shake my head.

"Memories-simply _hold people back_," I state with folded arms. "Besides, I did not come here to look at aesthetics."

"Well then tell me what're we're here for," he says, clearly offended. Like before, I ignore his demand and head for the archway. "Well, hang on a second, you can't just go walking around like you're on the streets. This temple is probably booby-trapped, filled with pits of poisonous snakes, and-woaaaaaah!" I turn to see Knuckles gone and replaced with noticeable hole within the rocks. Before I can follow him down the hole, the hole coats itself with more lustrous rocks. I try to dig through the hole, but the secure rocks prevent me to do so successfully. "You still there Risa?" shouts Knuckles' voice, muffled.

"Yes," I reply calmly. "What happened?"

"Stupid trapdoor…just go on, I'll figure a way out." For once, he does not sound that confident.

"I doubt that Knuckles. Even I cannot reach you," I essay the removal of the pile of rocks again, but they do not move.

"I'll be fine, I'll catch up!" he grunts. But to _where_? I have no idea of where I am really going. I am only here because…I am not sure at all.

"Fine." After getting to my feet, I approach the gaping darkness where all the water from the waterfalls goes. I just have to jump over this and get to the other side, that is not a big problem. After running back a couple of steps, I leap over the hole and use the periwinkle sword that instantly appears as a clutch to eliminate malignant failure. The sword's tip slices through the rock until I come to a comfortable stop. I pull myself up, and place my feet on the back of the blade one step at a time. "One, two." I hop to the ledge and pull myself up with ease; I will come back for the blade later. Automatically, it reappears in my hand as if the blade missed it like an old friend. "What a strange thing," I comment before it evaporates again. I take a deep breath-okay, go.

' ' '

"The door closed," I bang on the humongous door that slams behind me. "There is no turning back at this point."

"_Pass this trial, and a new opening will reveal itself," _a chorus of ominous, sexless voices whisper. _"The cursed fights the cursed." _At the end of the statement, the vines on the rock-filled ground slither towards the darkest part of the deathtrap. The vines jut out and form large, green pods with a queer, menacing emblem on them. The periwinkle blade's presence in my hand disquiets me. When I watch the green pod six inches away from me, black claws pry it open and a small hideous creature with eerie yellow eyes crawls out. Jagged antennas protrude from its back; across its leaf-textured chest, the queer black heart emblem glows dark violet. Something tells me that these are the notorious Heartless I have faced before.

I lunge at the Heartless that has completely crawled out of the pod. I swing at it mercilessly and without much of a struggle it vanishes. This will not be as bad as I predicted.

I pant heavily as the next wave of leafy Heartless crawl out of their pods. This will _never_ end-they simply keep coming back. Suddenly, one of them slashes at my cloak, tearing the sleeve. I fling it off my sleeve and step on it before it can try anything else. "The more I keep destroying, the more return." My eyes travel to the ceiling, where waves of Heartless are scuttling towards me hungrily. They will devour me if I do not do anything-think Risa, what have you not tried yet? I try backing up to the slammed door but when I glance behind, the Heartless are already crawling down that too. Hurriedly, I shuffle to the middle of the room, near one of the pods.

"Maybe. If I destroy-" before the thought finishes, I chuck at the stem of the green pod until the pod falls. A dozen of the Heartless turn into pink hearts. Moving desperately, I slash down each pod until they all tumble and fade into the darkness. Only about three dozen Heartless are left now, most of them just faded away.

"_The cursed battles the cursed and emerges victorious. Can you find the key?" _A door in the corner of the room opens, shaking the deathtrap a bit. Firmly gripping the periwinkle sword in hand, I step into the hallway, illuminated up by the shiny stones. The door behind me slams shut and the stones' luster begins to dim down. Jumping down the steps, I rush up the hall, barely whizzing past the sharp, flying blurs that are trying to sink in to my neck. My sword hand pulls towards the left hall; so this blade is going to guide me along the way? What an interesting sword.

***giraffe **


	2. Chapter 2

After finding a secret, inconspicuous hole in the dead end wall, I step into it foot first. I feel the rocks crunch beneath my shoes as I lift the sword over my head and wedge it between a stone. One at a time, I carve out each stone above my head; eventually, a faint light bursts through the small opening. As I pry away at it more, the light grows. I swim my way to the top with my arms and push off the remaining stones in my way. With a heavy grunt, I climb out, entering into the light.

The most lustrous stones must shine in this room. The statues of women, pouring pure water from jugs that look more like silk, are made of marble I would see in the holiest of cathedrals. Father told me they build very holy churches with marble stone and use regular stone for churches that give the "holy façade". Somehow, I feel like there is something out of place. It might be me. As I maunder the hall, I come across writing in the stones:

_ Identify yourself with your blood._

"Do I?" I ask myself. My words repeat themselves as I bring the sword to the palm of my hand. Why did I really come here? Why did I risk my life and Knuckles' today? For what purpose am I here for? I thought that while I wandered here, I would really find out why. Even hitherto I am not sure. I cringe as the sword slices through my skin on the palm of my hand; the bright crimson liquid splats on the words and they suck my blood ravenously. My blood fills up the words, bringing color to them.

_Blessed blood. Blessed blood. Cursed blood. Cursed blood. Be judged by the Mother._

As I look up to the high ceiling, I notice a painting of an angelic, celestial woman, flying in her painted sky. She looks beautiful, like a woman I met a long time ago.

"_Cursed blood spills. Blessed blood spills. I've felt this before. This temple is for those who walk in Light and have their hearts within the light. The curse stains you-it is your sigma, child."_

A tiny, spherical light protrudes off the picture of the assumed goddess and descends down to me. It sits in the palms of the largest statue in the room- a sylph holding a baby in her arms. Cautiously, I approach the statue._ "Do not be afraid child. My omnipotence arouses curiosity, not fear. That is good for a cursed heart like yours. Pull up your sleeves and expose the sigma."_

I do as I am ordered, rolling up my left sleeve and seeing my sigma-it has been a long time since I looked at it. It is a combination of many other symbols-a willow tree wrapped in chains smothered by an infinitely, looping black circles. Staring at it for too long makes me become lost within the endless arrangement of circles. Seven years ago, I pulled up my sleeve to examine this dreadful mark.

_"A stigma that is characterized by the infinite circles-a curse that forces you to bend the knee to anyone and everyone. A stigma inflicted by your very own kin. Performed in a place tainted with blood of evil men. Why have you arrived here?"_

"I am trying to figure that out."

"_Look around you-you are in my palace, your tainted blood spills from your hand. It is knowledge that you seek and knowledge that I can provide only for clean blood."_

Father has led me to my downfall yet again. I fall on my knees with my head to my dried blood on the ground. "I want-this curse to be eradicated."

"_The unholiest of curses is to remain on your body, Risa. It cannot be done by you-the curse shall even remain after you die." _I could feel anxiety sitting in my throat. Father must be satisfied with himself. _"Swinging your blade will do not a single thing for you. You can seek and lose, hope and doubt, and _be_ and_ not be_, but it shall do you no good. Even the sleeping power within yourself cannot help you."_

"What hidden power is that?" I am even surprised at this point that I have anything within me besides cursed blood. "I have nothing but a sword and my own blood."

"_A sword that is a key, and hands that can shape land and sea. You have only awakened some of it, but not all of it. Why do you hesitate young warroir? Why does your heart want more but you let your sigma control everything you do?"_

"What am I supposed to do? The curse Father gave me-" I say with my fists curled up "-it stops me from doing anything. It has ruined me and it always will."

"_Even as a dead man, your mark will never cease existence. Your kin has doomed you from when you could learn to speak and walk." _The female voice continues monotonously. _"Only you can save yourself from the fate you fear-the path of destiny that you will eventually walk." _I used to repeatedly tell myself that I would one day free myself from this pain. That one day I would find a cure to this curse, something to subdue it, to _appease _it, but that has not come. My hope is in vain. _"All you can do is fight it."_

I shake my head. "If I fight it, my lifespan-"

"_Fight. That is what you are known for. Fight with the sword. Fight until your knuckles bleed out the tainted blood. Fight for the ones closest to your stunted heart. Fight for liberation Risa, using the key. The key can save you."_

"I do not know of any key."

"_Look in your hand." _ When I do, the odd sword appears in my hand. _"The key is right in front of your eyes. That key is going to only open _one door. I stare wistfully at the odd-shaped blade. Now that I look at it long enough, it does seem to resemble something like a key, but an incomplete one.

"You said that I cannot do a single thing to get rid of this," I point out, getting to my feet and walking towards the light. "And you also said you would not give wisdom to those with tainted blood. Why do you contradict yourself?"

"_Why would a mother tell her daughter not to wear a yellow cloak in the demonic village?" _she replies ambiguously. "_All I ask is that you awaken the power that has been bestowed to you by an entity no one in all of the worlds can match."_

Extending my hand out to the statue, the light hops off the stony palms and falls into mine. I lift it to my ear and hear waves crash against earth, birds tweeting sweet songs of dawn, rain falling on the world, thunder booming in the distance, zephyrs making leaves dance in the air, and fire sizzling across a forest. "This is named the Goddess' Temple. But I only hear you."

"_Humans make many errors." _My memory takes me somewhere I am unfamiliar with. _A gentle touch brushed against my cheeks. I have never been touched like this before, with this care and tenderness. It is as if spring's softest flowers were kissing my cheeks. A face that I cannot recognize-a face that I have missed for so many years. Her lips moved but no sound came out except for bird's tweeting. For a second, I wished that they could have stop singing so I could hear her._

"Why have I never felt this before?" I croak when my flashback ends. "It is…not fair." When I clench my hand, the light instantly disappears. My curse will not be my downfall-I refuse. With my mind filled with rage, a crack streaks across the Goddess' face. Abruptly, the painted wall comes crashing down like a turbulent waterfall. The large statue becomes demolished as chaos travels to the ceiling and destroys that too. When all of the madness stops, it is just me, the only thing left standing in the rubble. Above me is the black void and a thin light from where Knuckles punched an entrance to this place. As I begin to climb over the broken pieces of the wall and the statue, my foot steps on something soft.

"Ow, watch it-!" the voice barks. I hastily remove the surrounding rocks around the red top and sigh at an unkempt Knuckles with dirt on his face. "Hey, what're you doing here? And-" he glances at the destroyed hall "-what the hell happened here? You got into a fight or something? One minute I'm digging my way through those pretty stones and the next minute, everything is just falling" Seeing that he is fine, I make my way towards the emptiness that surrounds the temple. "Thanks for leaving me!"

"You told me to," I reply stolidly, trekking up the shattered marble. _I did this_. My inner power that I originally feared when I attacked Knuckles can be controlled and centered. And I have to accept the harsh fate that my curse will be with me for the rest of my life and afterlife. I wonder when the demon's hands will claim me and devour my tainted heart for its own. Hopefully not soon because there is still so much I have to do before I find my way back home.

"My _Risa, don't despair,"_ her voice is dying, fading into the muffled howls of the gales._ Your curse does have a cure-but it does require a heart that shines of brilliance."_

**Oh look at that, Risa can eradicate the curse. See? I don't entirely ruin her life. Don't forget to review.**


End file.
